Friday, 24 November 2017

Yes, you've come to the right place but I have changed the title of my blog as I no longer commute on the Warrandyte bus - instead I'm living the dream on top of a hill in beautiful South Gippsland in country Victoria. I've just changed the blog title but kept the same website address. After procrastinating on this for many months I thought this was the easiest.

Anyway I've recently finished my Giant Dahlia top thanks to a workshop with Michelle Yeo at Gippsbeary Cottage where I found some gorgeous Di Ford Giggleswick Mill fabric for the final borders. Many thanks to Michelle for all of the step-by-step individual help she gave me to get that round peg into a square frame.

I've also been playing with some great red fabrics and cream shirtings to make HSTs for the border of Words to Live By.

Thanks for your feedback on my last post on border possibilities. I'm planning to do a combination of HSTs & the black print fabric. Hoping to finish this quilt top by the end of the month for the 17ufosin2017 challenge.

Btw I'm also going to be on Instagram as I feel like I'm I've been missing out - might see you there!

Wednesday, 1 November 2017

Inspired by a display of Michelle Yeo's quilts at Gippsbeary Cottage I decided to pull out my version of Michelle's Giant Dahlia Quilt that I never quite finished. I thought adding the final border was too much like trying to fit a round peg into a square hole and then over time I didn't like my colour choices. Anyway I've decided to take a class with Michelle this Saturday and so I've been playing around with some fabrics for the final border so that I can finish this quilt. I'm quite liking it again and wished I'd put it on my 17ufosin2017 list.

I've made good progress with my Words to Live By and I've been deciding what to do for the final border/s. My initial choice of this FG border fabric just doesn't seem to relate any more.

I think the black fabric is too dark but I'll probably use it for the binding.

I think I will go with a dogtooth border - I've just used some leftovers from my CCCQ to get the idea, I will use cream/off-white shirtings from the quilt instead of the white.

I've finished all of the red & white pieced blocks for Reading the Fine Print and a few more applique blocks - only one more to go!

I've also been playing with possible layouts and borders for this quilt.

Linking up to Meredithe's 17ufosin2017 October post (when it becomes available), hard to believe that we're nearly at the end of this challenge.

Tuesday, 19 September 2017

And yes I know we are well into September! Before I start on The List I would like to thank everyone for the lovely comments I received on my blue and cream AWS, I was quite surprised at the response to that post. Anyway since my last 17 in 2017 post I have completed my Value Proposition Quilt - yay!

I was really happy with how the borders went on - Jo Morton style. I'm glad I decided to go with the tassels hanging out which also gave a nice little inner border.

I thought I would have been well and truly over sewing hexies but no! I've already made a rosette for the label...

...and with inspiration from different sources, including Karen's Empire Quilt, I'm thinking of hexing up my Aunty Green.

This beautiful quilt that I saw on Pinterest also inspired me. It was at this year's Sydney exhibition but I'm sorry I've lost the orginal source and the name of the maker.

I think this antique quilt was a source of inspiration for Karen's Empire Quilt.

Image from Bonhams

I have also been re-thinking my Reading the Fine Print quilt. I've been following along with Sharon's quilkt along on and off and was going to use a range of pieced blocks with the applique blocks. I really liked the block from this post and whipped it up in red and white.

Sharon's unnamed block

I liked the uniformity of Judy's version of this quilt (that all the G'nTs are making) with her pieced baskets between the appliqué blocks...

...so I'm going to use variations on Sharon's unamed block with different red and white fabrics.

A few more applique blocks for this quilt.

I have also finished all of the blocks for my woolly Words to Live By and added the red and green triangles.

I'm no longer sure about that border fabric but I'm liking the black and cream fabric in the centre - very dramatic!

I was hoping to finish Words to Live By by the end of Winter but so far the start to our Spring has been very wintry.

Last but not least I've finished one of the borders for The Twelve Days of Christmas.

Tuesday, 22 August 2017

I actually finished this Antique Wedding Sampler last December and now I've finally been motivated to write about this finish after being inspired by Karen's post on the AWS blocks she is making with a friend. And thanks again to the G'nT Sisters for their help with fabric, colour and design choices. Once again Katrina did an amazing job of quilting to enhance every individual block. This post will be very photo heavy - please enjoy!

Isn't it always great when you find the perfect fabric for binding?

AWS block #10

AWS block #9

AWS block # 24

AWS block #5

AWS block #19

AWS block #23

AWS block #22

AWS block #25

AWS block #1

AWS block #2

AWS block #17

AWS block #13

AWS block #16

AWS "J Block"

AWS block #3

AWS block #12

AWS block #14

AWS #15

AWS block #20

AWS block #18

AWS block #4

AWS block #21

AWS block #6

This is my favourite block which I modified by doing all of the flowers in broderie perse and changing the vase shape. I love the way Katrina quilted this block to make it look as though the vase is on a pedestal.

AWS block #7

It's a pity this wasn't on my 17 UFOs in 2017 list but I'll be back soon with a winter update on the challenge.CheersCarole